Oshawa-Durham Ontario Nearby Towns and Attractions: Lindsay

Lindsay has 17,000 residents on the Scugog River in the Kawartha Lakes region, 43 kilometers west of Peterborough. It lies on the Trent-Severn waterway that connects Lake Ontario with Lake Huron. Lindsay has beautifully maintained city parks, the winding Scugog River, one of the widest Main Streets in Ontario (over 20 metres or 66 feet wide, wide enough for a 4 horse team to turn around), and a variety of entertaining events, make Lindsay a popular destination for tourists year-round.

Lindsay History

The township was surveyed in 1825, and was settled by the Purdy family, from the United States, which built a dam and a mill. Initially the community was named Purdy's Mills, but was later renamed for a local surveyor's assistant, Mr Lindsay, who died of an infection from an accidental gunshot wound. In 1857, the Port Hope Railway arrived, and the town became incorporated. In 1851, the town was destroyed by fire, and gradually rebuilt. In 2001 Lindsay's town government was merged with Victoria County into the new City of Kawartha Lakes. The town was the home of Sir Sam Hughes the Canadian Minister of Militia during the First World War, and the home of Larry Hansen, the inventor of the disposable green garbage bag.

Lindsay Attractions

1873 Town Hall
302 Queen St, Port Perry
Built in 1873 for a cost of $6,000, now the home to the Borelians Theatre Group and Scugog Choral Society, with a number of live performances each year, with seating for approx. 236. Street parking is available as well as near-by parking lots.

Academy Theatre for Performing Arts
2 Lindsay Street S.
Lindsay ON K9V 2L6
705-324-9111 877-888-0038
Founded in 1892, it has hosted a young Sammy Davis Jr., the Marx Brothers and lots of local talent. It was a movie house in 1931, until competition with the more-recent Century Cinema. The theatre attracts 50,000 a year in its intimate space.

Home of David Palmer (Founder of Chiropractic)
Born in Port Perry in 1845, where he received a Grade 8 education. David Palmer was an itinierant traveler around the US, and in September 1895, Palmer was said to have cured a deaf man by placing pressure on the man's displaced vertebra. Shortly afterward Palmer claimed to cure another patient of heart trouble, again by adjusting a displaced vertebra, which led him to theorize that human disease might be the result of dislocated or luxated bones, as Palmer called them. He founded the Palmer School of Chiropractic, though it was his son, Bartlett Joshua Palmer, who successfully commercialized the practice of chiropractic.

Lindsay Art Gallery
190 Kent Street West,
operating out of the 2nd floor of the library
Lindsay, ON K9V 2Y6
705-324-1780 Fax: 705-324-9349
A showcase of area art and artists since 1976, with exhibits, classes, art camp, and other community events. Hosts the "Art in the Park" a one-day annual event, taking place in July in Victoria Park
Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 to 11:30 am and 12:00 to 4:00 pm; Closed Sunday and Monday.

Mississauga of Scugog Island First Nation
R.R. #5, 22521 Island Road
PORT PERRY, Ontario L9L 1B6
(905) 985-3337 Fax: (905) 985-8828
The Mississauga Nation, a branch of the Ojibway of the Three fires Confederacy, moved southward from the Sault Ste. Marie area around 1695. From the 1780's, the First Nations entered into peace and friendship Treaties with the British, with a modern-day Treaty signed in 1923with a dispute resolution mechanism for resolving past breaches. At the time of the 1818 Treaty, the Mississaugas had settled around Lake Scugog, but when it was dammed at Bobcaygeon, they moved to the nearby Coldwater reserve but subsequently bought back half of Scugog Island

Scugog Shores Historical Museum, Village & Archives
16210 Island Road
Port Perry, ON L9L 1B4
Scugog Shores Historical Museum has displayed and interpretted artifacts and information about the history and heritage of Scugog Township since 1970.The museum features an historical village depicting the heritage of Scugog Township from 1830-1940. The museum also operates an archives.
Under constant development is the unique cultural project; The Ojibway Heritage Interpretive Lands. This exhibit explores the link between nature and the early Ojibway.Open Summer daily 10 am to 4 pm; Fall/Winter Tuesdays to Fridays 1 pm to 4 pm. Tours are available, and admission is by donation.
Special Event Admission: Adults $3.50, Seniors/Students $2.00, Children under 12 Free, Evening Event admissions vary.

Victoria County Historical Society and Museum
322 Kent St W
Lindsay On K9V 4S1
705-324-3404 fax: 705-324-1805 Toll Free: 1-866-747-2010
Preserve and showcase the rich history and heritage of Victoria County (City of Kawartha Lakes). Open since the 1950s in the old Victoria County Jail. Exhibits include the area's history of military service, the area's heritage, the John McRea Collection of miniature models, the history of crime & justice in the area, and the Governor's Quarters (warden's residence) in the jail.

Community Map

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